The χ Project
by ObscureUsername
Summary: XEMNAS is the first being to ever survive without a heart. But there's definitely more than anyone could possibly know to this. And when XEMNAS escapes the laboratory in which he was created, does one girl have the key to his existence? T for language
1. Prologue

Hello. Thanks for reading! I'll admit that this was inspired by Frankenstein, if you couldn't tell by the summary. Not my characters, though I wish they were. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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_The χ Project_

**DATALOG**

Today an intense break in the field of science has been made.

For millennia, humankind has been seeking the key to immortality, but we have never found it, not with magic or science or good health. Death is inevitable. But now, we have created something capable of living forever, with no heart or blood.

This being has been surgically altered, his heart removed and replaced with a natural electricity-powered diaphragm of equal weight to keep him breathing. Blood samples indicate that all circulatory functions have ceased. We call him XEMNAS (X1NM3S1AE). We doubt he remembers anything of his past, though. For the first three weeks of XEMNAS's existence, we had to keep him constantly on machines, tubes running in his trachea to channel air in until he was capable of breathing on his own. He definitely is alive and responsive, though. He responds to stimuli, and he tries to speak and interact with us. But he is unable to speak as of yet, making only inarticulate moans and shouts. Sometimes he screams and howls in pain or despair for a while, even hours, or until we pump sedative gases into his holding chamber.

We are planning on showcasing this discovery soon. We believe that XEMNAS has the capability to continue living for an infinite amount of time if he meets correct conditions. This could possibly be the most important discovery known to mankind.

-Ansem, PHD. Radiant Garden Team

xxx

Even continued looking over the recordings and taking notes on the situation. XEMNAS was exhibiting some strange behavior, sitting still for hours or going up to the edge of the tank and placing his hand on the plexiglass. He seemed to like it when someone placed their hand against it. Was this some kind of affirmation of presence or attention? Or did the former human want to be with his superior brethren?

Right now, XEMNAS was asleep, slumped against the glass of the chamber. Even remembered who he used to be, a man stripped of memories whose brain, responding to the sudden wipe of personality, constructed a new existence for himself, right down to the name.

The scientist rose and approached the chamber. XEMNAS blinked slowly awake and looked curiously up at him. "Aaaaaah..." he moaned, innocence in his eyes. "Oh...aaah..."

Even tried to put up a ruse of kindness and kneeled to the experiment's sitting level. "Hello, XEMNAS. Will you please come here?" He brought his hand, fingers splayed, onto the semi-cold glass.

"Ehh...aaaaaaaah..." XEMNAS placed his big hand where Even's was, then he got closer, leaning his entire body up against the glass. Even could feel the hiss-pump of the diaphragm, and could see the scars where the removal of the heart, lobotomy, and placement of air tubes had been performed on him. It was almost pitiful, but the creature was undying. Even envied him.

"Good job." The scientist tapped the release code and the glass slid away, allowing XEMNAS to cautiously explore his surroundings. There was nothing harmful here at the moment; just the familiar machinery, a table with two chairs, and some flashcards all stacked neatly facedown. Even rose and sat at the table. "XEMNAS, come."

XEMNAS crawled towards him. "Ehh.."

Even sighed, his patience wearing thin. "XEMNAS, sit on the chair."

XEMNAS made a whining sound and pulled himself onto the chair opposite Even. His eyes stared straight ahead, head resting on one buckled knee and fingers twitching. His chest rose and fell in a steady, unaltered rhythm, powered by the meticulously made machine. It would take something monstrous to upset this system...but what? If this technology was to be perfected, the team would have to find out what would damage the beat of the diaphragm.

"XEMNAS, come to me," Even coaxed, not allowing his intentions to show. XEMNAS obediently approached, staring blankly down at his superior. Even smiled sinisterly. "This won't be comfortable." He brought the former human down to his level and placed his hand on the experiment's stitched chest. Hiss-pump, hiss-pump, hiss-pump... The beat went on, so unlike a true heartbeat, the metal piston pump just below a layer of live meat. It ran on the natural electricity present in living creatures. Electricity was the key!

XEMNAS watched as Even drew the small electric pen from his pocket. It sent off small shocks from a long thin needle, making it useful in various tests and experiments. He was fully aware that he was being watched through hidden cameras, but he felt the need to do this. XEMNAS cocked his head as Even gingerly touched the tip of the needle to his left pectoral.

The experiment couldn't even scream when the scientist pressed the button and put a volt of energy through him.

Even watched in horror as XEMNAS's breathing became rapid and shallow, pupils shrinking as the diaphragm malfunctioned. "What have I done?" Even hadn't considered, in the heat of passion, that this could possibly KILL everything he worked for! Shouts rang out down the hall as XEMNAS staggered to keep balance, his hyperventilation not allowing enough oxygen to his brain. He collapsed to his knees and fell to the ground, mind unconscious but diaphragm still functioning.

Braig and Aeleus ran in. "You _idiot_!" the former shouted. "You should be fired from the team!" He spun on Aeleus. "Aeleus!"

Aeleus nodded and flipped over XEMNAS, tearing open his stitches and grabbing the disk of the diaphragm's piston. XEMNAS's breathing ceased with it. Aeleus moved the piston in a normal breathing rhythm for about a minute, then let go. XEMNAS's breathing returned to normal, almost as though he were asleep, except that his ochre eyes were peeled wide open, pupils small and unseeing.

As Aeleus put XEMNAS back in his containment chamber, Braig spun on Even. _"What were you thinking?" _he screamed, eyes flaming. Even cringed and was about to say something in his defense. "You _knew_ what electric currents would do to him! Are you _insane_?"

Even lowered his head with shame. "I don't know what came over me, Braig, I wasn't myself-"

"You realize what you've caused? We can't present our finds to the Foundation now!" Braig was seething as he punched Even across the jaw, knocking the feeble blonde to the ground.

"Stop!" Aeleus put a big hand on Braig's shoulder.

Braig growled. "You bastard!" With that, he ran away.

Even was crying silently when Aeleus glared down at him and walked off without a word.

xxx

**DATALOG**

Everything has gone downhill since Even electrocuted XEMNAS.

XEMNAS has become wary and distrustful of us, to the point of violence. Not even Ienzo has full trust. Anytime we draw a knife or pointed object, XEMNAS will scream and howl until we put it away.

He is especially hateful of Even. At the first sight of our blonde scientist, he will howl and roar with blatant rage. We cannot allow Even to interact with him, for we fear it may endanger his very life.

And the strange things XEMNAS has been doing! His screaming fits have all but ceased, and now he moans something to us, attempting to say a word I can't help but find important. It may have something to do with his twice forgotten past.

I shall keep you updated on these discoveries and events in Project χ.

-Ansem, PHD. Radiant Garden Team


	2. The Escaped

Now is when the story really starts :3 If you can figure out what Terra's tatto means, I'll give you the invisible cookie. Boy, language is fun to write... R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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The collapse began on February 12.

Aqua had just left her job as a waiter in some slutty restaurant, and she was fuming silently as she counted the tips and dollar bills the drunk horny men had stuck beneath her waistband. It was decided. She would quit that job tomorrow.

She threw open the door of her hand-me-down Audi Quattro and sat down on the worn-out seats. "Dammit, I'm not suffering through that again!" She was in college, and there were probably a lot of open restaurants who might need some young hands. She cursed the men and their mothers as she pulled out and drove down the dark road. She cursed their ancestry and their children's children's children, and the very ground they walked on, and hoped that their angry wives or fed-up mothers would have the mind to stick some cyanide, botulinum, and ricin in their food and dump their bodies in a landfill.

____

Aqua knew that anger like this wasn't healthy, but she didn't care. Yeah, sure, her family had a history of cancer, but Aqua knew her best friends were most likely dead. One was shot along with his family on a vacation to Arizona. The other had been missing for a year and a half.

A driver beeped at another driver. Aqua growled and rolled down the window. "Goddamnit, you wanker! MOVE!" As expected, that got him moving, and traffic flowed as normal again. She would have been in deep shit if Ven were there, because he was an avid hater of potty-mouths. But Ven wasn't there.

__

Aqua, Elvis is dead.

Yeah. He didn't try to force his way into another body.

Aqua, listen to me. Terra's uncle, he's dying.

What gives him the right to do this?

Everyone's really worried about him-

That doesn't give him the right to destroy another life! Death is part of life! He should accept it!

Aqua shook it out of her head and sang along to the upbeat tune. There was no traffic on the dark, backwater road outside of the city. Aqua's high headlights were the only illumination.

And then something life-changing happened.

Something large ran out in front of her car.

Aqua screamed and slammed on her brakes. The old car screeched and spun around the thing, careening longways down the road and finally crashing into a tree. The airbags went off, violently slamming into her sides. Terrified, Aqua took some deep breaths and forced her way out of the car to see what had made her wreck.

It was a young man dressed in various black leather straps that were woven around his arms and legs and waist. Scars were visible on his otherwise perfect upper neck, scars that were crudely sewn shut with thick black thread. Black bandages were wrapped tightly around his abdomen, and there was a large sutured wound in his left pectoral. His right arm had a chained metal cuff on it. His feet were bare. But something about his familiar face and silver hair made him seem even more unusual than he already was.

"...Terra?" Aqua asked with incredulous surprise.

The man rose to bent knees, balancing on the balls of his feet. "Aaaaaah..." he moaned, slowly approaching her. His back was feathered with tranquilizer darts. "Aaah...kaaaaaaaaaaa..." His breathing remained surprisingly normal, not slowing or speeding up with the effects of sedatives. "Koowaaaa...?"

Aqua ran forward and, acting on an impulse, began yanking the darts from the person's back. This close to him, she could hear a strange sound emanating from his chest. Hiss-pump, hiss-pump, hiss-pump... It sounded mechanical. The man's flesh was cold as death.

"Come with me," she told him, then ran down the road towards her home. The man just stood in the road where she left him. Aqua couldn't avoid the strange feeling she was getting from him. "Terra, c'mon."

The man cocked his head, but still responded, running down the road to catch up with her. Sedative didn't affect him at all. He was full of energy, eyes alert and interested.

Could this be Terra? The Terra who had disappeared from the face of the earth with no explanation? Aqua wished she knew as the two ran through the biting cold and falling snow. Even after Aqua was panting and her legs burned with exertion, the stranger's breathing remained oddly even and his body like ice.

They soon reached Aqua's home, a house her great great grandfather built that had been passed down for generations. Aqua fumbled her keys and unlocked the door, pushing the man in and then going in herself. She felt for the light-switch and turned it on.

In the light, she could see the man better. He had tanned skin and vivid golden eyes. His hair, which was messy on top, flowed long and silky to just below his shoulder blades. On his left temple was a long sutured scar, and along his neck were various smaller scars. His face, his unmarred face, was identical to Terra's.

Aqua slowly approached him. "Hello?"

He looked up. "Aaaaaaah..." Apparently, he was mute.

Aqua smiled kindly and pointed at herself. "I am Aqua."

The man crept towards her, feet flat on the ground. "Aaah...wa..." He looked into her eyes.

"What's your name?" Aqua asked.

The stranger blinked and cocked his head, silent.

"You don't know?" Aqua was worried. She approached him and put a hand on his bare shoulder. "You don't have a name?"

The silvernette blinked unknowingly at her.

Aqua shrugged, knowing what to do. "I think your name is Terra."

"Terrrrrrll..." Terra, as Aqua had dubbed him, attempted to speak the name, tongue stumbling gracelessly over the r.

"Ter-a," Aqua repeated, emphasizing the movements of her mouth. "Say it like me."

"Terrr..aah..." the silvernette imitated. He lifted a strapped arm and placed it on her left shoulder. On it was a black series of numbers and letters tattooed into his flesh in a machine-like font. Aqua read through the code.

"X1NM3S1AE?" she said to herself. "Why do you have that tattoo?"

Terra shifted his stance and gently squeezed her shoulder. "...haaaa...aaaaaaaaah..." He looked down and saw the keys in her hand. "Aaaaaaaaah..." He backed away from her and the moans turned into howls and shouts.

"I won't hurt you!" Aqua said, shoving the keys in her pocket. She raised her arms, palms out. "It's okay. I'll never hurt you." _I'll never hurt anyone again._

Terra whimpered and came back over, obviously satisfied that the keys were hidden. As Aqua put her arms down, he glanced around the periwinkle blue hallway.

"Terra, c'mon." Aqua led Terra to the family room, away from her most-likely sleeping mom, and turned on the television. Terra jumped in surprise when the anchorwoman talked about a missing little girl and a pit bull mauling. Sometimes Radiant Garden didn't feel as happy as people made it out to be.

Something interesting happened.

The anchorwoman shook her stack of paper. _"Today a catastrophic disaster happened in the Radiant Garden Laboratory,"_ she said with an unnervingly cheerful disposition. _"Three men were seriously injured when a test animal escaped into the woods. Two are currently hospitalized; the third is missing as of now."_

"Escaped test animal?" Aqua would have to be on the lookout for that.

A knock came from the door.

"Terra, stay." Aqua ran upstairs to the door and flung it open. "Wha-"

Braig!

The one-eyed man was leaning against the doorframe, a long slash on his face dripping thick, dark blood. He was holding a long rifle with a sniper scope on it. "Hello, Aqua," he said breathlessly.

Aqua couldn't speak if she had words to say. Braig, the tormentor from her childhood, was at her door again!

Braig sighed and shifted his gaze. "Have you seen anything...unusual recently?" he asked, guilt evident in his remaining eye.

Aqua took a deep breath. "...get away, you fucker!" She slammed the door in his face, panting and close to sobs. "DON'T COME BACK!"

She looked out the peephole and remained there until she was certain he was gone. Anything unusual... Was he looking for Terra? Why was he injured?

There was definitely something more to Terra, and Aqua knew it with certainty.

xxx

It didn't take Braig long to find Dilan's waiting car, because it was black against a plethora of white snow.

He limped up to it and pulled the door open, quickly sliding in, gun on lap, then slammed it behind him and yelled in pain. "Please! To the hospital!" He was getting dizzy from the loss of blood.

Dilan nodded and pushed down the pedal. They were soon cruising down the road at a steady speed. "I'll assume you didn't find XEMNAS."

Braig groaned and reclined his seat, buckle still undone. "Vanished after he tore up my face," he explained, cringing as sticky warm blood dripped onto the upholstery. "Sorry about you car..."

Dilan shrugged as best as someone who's driving can. "That's what insurance is for."

Braig sighed, blinking his drooping eyelid. "I got him about twenty times with darts, but he didn't go down." He wasn't just a scientist. Science was more of a hobby.

Dilan growled, "Are you a bigger idiot than Even? He has no blood. Poisons designed to be administered to the bloodstream have no effect!"

"Oh. That didn't occur to me." Braig's vision clouded with a dark tunnel as blood loss became critical. "I'm tired, Dilan..."

"Don't fall into a coma, nincompoop."

"I'll try..." Braig closed his eyes and allowed consciousness to slip away.


	3. Fears and Dread

There's not much to say here other than _eep. _Sorry if the next few chapters are late- weekdays are troublesome. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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Aqua ran back downstairs and saw Terra running his hands along the couch with fascination. Small mumbles of interest rose from his throat as he felt the carpet. The television was still on, the people talking about something or other.

Aqua glanced at her watch. Eleven-thirty, on the dot. It was late, and she was tired. Terra didn't seem to be, but Aqua wanted sleep.

"Terra, come with me," Aqua said, gesturing to him. The silvernette rose and padded over to her, intrigue suddenly lost. _Hiss-pump, hiss-pump, hiss-pump... _Aqua once again puzzled over the sound. "What is that?"

Terra blew some breath out of his teeth and lifted the remote in his hands. "Aah...?"

"Thank you." Aqua took the remote and turned off the television with it. Still the sound continued, on a steady pace almost like breathing. It was coming from Terra's chest, through the poorly sewn wound. "Wait here."

She ran upstairs to the kitchen and opened one of the drawers. _Hiss-pump, hiss-pump… _She spun around and saw Terra behind her, watching curiously. "I told you to wait downstairs," she scolded. When the man didn't move, she let out an exasperated groan and continued rustling through the drawer until she found the scissors. "There they are." She pulled them out, holding them behind her back so Terra wouldn't see them. "Come over here."

Terra cocked his head, standing in place when shifting on his feet.

Aqua sighed. "Right. Terra, come here."

This time, he listened, approaching incautiously. Aqua knew that if she were ever to sate her curiosity, she would have to be quick and precise. The widespread stitches would be easy to cut in one movement. She carefully moved her arm to a ready position, then swiped in and snapped the sutures, freeing the flesh from its stretched place. Terra yelled in surprise and ran backwards a few steps, bumping into the refrigerator and knocking some of the paper off. Aqua threw the scissors away from herself and raised her hands up in the universal way of saying _I'm unarmed_.

"Dammit, Aqua, what's going in in here?" Aqua's handicapped mom had woken up and was shouting out to her. "You gotta an animal or summat trapped in ere?"

"Nothing!" Aqua shouted back. "I dropped a knife on my foot!" She had to support her story now. "Auuuuugh! _Fuck_, it hurts! I'll take care of it myself!"

"You better clean up the gore" was the final response.

Terra was curled up against the fridge, shaking and whining. The opening in his chest yawned open, but Aqua couldn't see what was inside. "I'm sorry, Terra," she consoled the frightened man, squatting down to his level. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to redo the stitches." That was partly true; the stitches had been dirty and crusted in dry blood. But she also had to see the source of the sound.

Terra looked up at her, terror brimming in his luminous eyes. He was so pathetic, despite his strength and formidability. Something about him seemed broken, destroyed, unsalvageable. Even as fear shook his body and escaped his lips in small whimpers, his breathing didn't change to match that of fright.

Aqua smiled and gingerly stroked the silvernette's wispy hair. "I promise, I'll never do that again. I'll never hurt you. Wherever you came from, you'll never be hurt like that here." She felt the cold shudders grow smaller beneath her hand, and eventually they faded, replaced by an assured calm. "Terra, please turn so I can see all of you."

Terra listened and obeyed. Aqua looked down into the gaping hole in his chest…

…and what she saw made her scream.

xxx

Dilan slammed the brakes and turned off the engines. He was pretty sure Braig's breathing had completely ceased, but he was no doctor, so he didn't know what to do. He practically kicked the driver's door open and dragged his unconscious partner out onto the road. He still had a pulse, but it was weak.

How did this happen? XEMNAS had been sleeping when Ienzo had gone in to do some tests someone his age and stature could handle. But when the boy had turned his back, XEMNAS had stood up and broke the plexiglass chamber with his bare hands. Even had run in to aid Ienzo, but he became the one in need of help when XEMNAS shoved a piece of shattered glass into his guts, then beat him to the floor with the very weapon designed to stop the experiment should he escape. And when poor Ienzo tried to help, he in turn had his skull fractured by XEMNAS's weapon-wielding strength. And when XEMNAS got to the doors, Braig darted him, but the assassin had his face torn open when the experiment pulled a shard of glass from its leg and brandished it like a sword.

Dilan puzzled how this disaster was brought about as he lifted Braig with some effort and carried him into the hospital. XEMNAS had _never_ woken that quickly. It had usually taken some rousing, especially if he had been drugged asleep. His former selves had usually been fairly heavy-sleepers, but XEMNAS wasn't Xehanort. They were very different, with the damage done by lobotomy and cardio-ectomy. The only way the disaster could've happened is if _XEMNAS was awake. _

The receptionist glanced up at him, then did a double take when she realized who he was. "You're the people from the laboratory? I'll page the nurse."

Dilan took a deep breath and shook his dreadlocks out of his face. In the hard, cold light of the lobby, he could see Braig's chest barely rising and falling, but he doubted it would last very long. Braig would need a blood transfusion if he lived.

XEMNAS must not have been sleeping. His breathing patterns never changed, so he must have been feigning rest so as to trick his superiors. Xehanort had been intelligent, so the former human was as well. They had surrounded him with weapons in order to prevent his escape. Glass, metal, the club… All of it would be good use to an incredibly strong, nearly impossible to kill immortal lab experiment. They shouldn't have let Even in that day- no, they should've been more careful and checked his pockets like they did for anyone who went in there.

The nurse, Dr. Gainsborough, waved him over to the nearby elevator. Dilan walked in with her, unnerved by her tranquil aura and small smile. "You're aware that the patients you are treating could possibly die, correct?" he probed.

Gainsborough sighed, smile fading. "I can't just go right out and say that, though. I'm terrified for their lives. Is this man your friend?" She indicated Braig.

Dilan nodded. "We go a long way back."

"Then I have to look optimistic so you don't worry too badly," the nurse explained. "How long has he been like that?"

"He got wounded twelve hours ago," Dilan said. "He fell unconscious in my car just a few minutes ago. He needs a blood transfusion."

They reached their destination and went into the reserved room. Dilan placed Braig on an empty bed and looked over the others. Even looked horrible, his face bruised and bloody, monitor beeping erratically. Ienzo may have been asleep, if it weren't for the bandages wrapped around his head. Aeleus and Ansem stood solemnly by the back wall. Dilan joined them.

Ansem moaned and buried his face in his hands. "I can't help but feel this is my fault."

"Why?" Dilan asked. "You aren't the one who did this."

"I should've foreseen this," the blonde head scientist lamented. "You can't create life and expect it to obey you... It's just like before."

Dilan cringed inwardly. He had been much younger, but he remembered it clearly. The Vanitas Experiment had been catastrophic.

Aeleus sighed. "I'm certain they will pull through." He looked at Braig. "Was XEMNAS caught?"

"The idiot Braig wasted twenty darts," Dilan growled. "And he knows that the monstrosity doesn't have any blood."

Ansem lowered his head. "Then all is lost. I feel sorry for the ones he encounters."

xxx

Underneath the cover of living tissue was a metal cylinder. The cylinder had glass sides, so the piston inside was visible as it pumped air through several plastic tubes that were connected to major arteries and the left bronchus. Small wires ran through the meat of his body.

And the worst part was he had no heart.

Aqua's scream faded to a whimper. She was trembling. What was he? Nothing could be like that. Nothing! He wasn't real! It wasn't possible. She backed away from the monster, panting and shuddering. That's why the darts had no effect.

_No heart, no heart, no heart, no heart..._

"No heart, no heart, no heart, no heart, no heart..." Aqua didn't care how terrified she was. He was real. He was _alive_. But...how?

And soon she was sobbing, knees drawn up tight against her chest. Horror pulsed through her body, forming a tight knot in her gut and shaking her shoulders. Her breathing was fast and shallow and tears clouded her eyes. It was horrible!

She felt a big, firm hand move the bangs from her face. Terra looked into her eyes, curious and worried. The object in his chest powered his breathing as he lowered his hand to her bosom, feeling her frightened heartbeat. "Haaaaaa..."

Aqua looked into his eyes. "You don't have a heart, Terra..."

"Haaaar..."

"Heart," Aqua repeated. "Are you trying to say 'heart'?"

Terra's eyes filled with sorrow and grief. "Haaaaarrrt...aaaaaah wa..."

Aqua smiled. "You want a heart." The fear slipped away. Someone had taken Terra's heart and replaced it with that machine. He wanted his heart back. "I-I'm sorry I misunderstood." She rose to her feet, Terra rising with her. "Terra, just wait here. I'll get the sewing tools."

She ran quietly down the hall and retrieved the case from her media room. She came back and saw Terra standing right where she left him. He glanced over at her, the hole in his chest allowing her to see his right lung expanding and contracting like a squishing sponge. Aqua shuddered. "Terra, sit." She pulled up a chair in front of the silvernette and snapped open the case. She found some silver thread that matched his hair and darker skin tone.

Aqua laughed weakly. "Man, this is so weird. I never thought I'd have to find thread that looks good on skin."

Terra just blinked at her.

Aqua shrugged and pulled out the needle to thread it. Terra let out some small mumbles of concern, but he calmed down when Aqua grinned at him assuringly. This was going to be hard for her. She wasn't worried about blood, she was just worried about the feel of driving the needle through living flesh, knowing full well that it was hurting someone.

Aqua took a deep breath and put the needle against Terra's chest. "I'm sorry if this hurts." She forced the needle through, moaning as the silvernette cried out in pain. She brought the needle through the other side, then pulled the string tight. Her eyes were watering as she moved down an inch and repeated the process, trying to ignore the pained whimpers and yelps from Terra. Her hand began to quiver as the deed went on, and when she was finished, she was near the point of tears. She bit the thread in half and finished the loop, closing the metal pump in a wall of muscle and skin.

Terra looked down at his new sutures, marveling at the bright, clean thread. "Aaaaah..." He pulled at the scars in his throat. "Kooowaaaaa..."

Aqua shuddered and felt nauseous. "That's enough for one night." She packed up the sewing equipment and threw the needle in the garbage.

xxx

Dilan sighed and paced the room, listening to the beeps of the life support machines. XEMNAS was at large in Radiant Garden. This was bad. _Really_ bad. He glanced at Braig, then Even, then Ienzo. The two men were hardy and strong, but they had been beaten down like houses of hay at XEMNAS's hands. What could he do to civilians?

Ansem and Aeleus were still there, sitting asleep on the chairs. They had been allowed to stay the night. As the night went on, Dilan felt sleep calling him, and he had to constantly pace to stay awake. Bits of the past came to him in pictures and scraps of sound, but one in particular caught his attention.

_We need you for-_

No.

But, this is important. Everything we've worked for.

I refuse to let you do this to me.

Please, Xehanort. We need to test this on someone!

No! Not while I still stand!

But you were a test for us in the past...

What the hell are you talking about?

Dilan shook his head. "Xehanort, what have we done to you?"


	4. Shattered Possession

Sorry if I don't update for a while. This fanfic is cursed O.o I tried to upload the file, and my computer crashed, so I emailed it to myself, but when I tried to access email, it wouldn't work until I rebooted the computer. Even my computer wants me to finish Revisited! Boy, who next, my obdurate little brother who only reads the stupidity that happens in the aftermath of my inspiration? R&R appreciated. Thank you.

* * *

"Terra, this way." Aqua gestured to the silvernette, waiting for him to stand up and follow her down the hallway. It was always dark back there when the lights were off, but Aqua found it darker than usual in the shadows of her new situation. Braig had been to her house again. Why was he there, with that horrible wound?

Aqua knew that Braig Silverman worked in the Radiant Garden Laboratory, and she knew that he was a skilled assassin and cold-hearted killer. She hated his guts with a heated passion.

Terra came up next to her, still picking at the stitches on his neck. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to glow with an inward energy, but only dimly. Aqua looked at this, puzzling about why that would happen. Oh well. There were mysteries about this man she would never understand. She took hold of his bandaged wrist and led him down the hall, more quietly past her mother's room, and entered a vacant guest room. Aqua switched on the lights. "Here's your room."

Terra blinked and scanned the room. "Aaaaaaah..." He approached the bed and ran his hands over and through each soft surface, fascinated by the new sensations. He climbed on top and bounced a bit, feet forcing the covers down and rattling the entire frame.

Aqua waited for him to finish his investigation. "Look at this." She pulled the covers down. "Terra, lay down."

Terra jumped up and sprawled out over the mattress. He seemed surprised when Aqua pulled the covers up over him.

"This is where you sleep," Aqua explained. "It's nice and comfortable. I need you to stay here, okay?"

Terra blinked at her and closed his eyes.

Sensing that he was asleep, Aqua leaned forward and kissed his forehead quickly. "Goodnight, Terra." She turned off the lights on her way out, and when she reached her room, she fell asleep on her bed without undressing.

xxx

An hour after Dilan fell asleep, Even woke up screaming.

Suddenly, the uninjured scientists were awake and alert. The blonde was breathing rapidly, his machine beeping insanely as his heart rate rocketed.

"Even, calm down!" Dilan shouted impulsively, knowing full well it wouldn't work.

Gainsborough rushed in and looked at Even. "What happened here?" she asked.

Dilan stammered for a moment. "Everyone was sleeping, and then he started screaming and panting like that out of nowhere."

"There must be shards of glass still in his body," the nurse inferred.

Even gathered his senses, still panicking, and yelled, "It's not that! It's XEMNAS! We're all going to die!"

"Zemnas?" Gainsborough raised an eyebrow.

Ansem rose to his feet with stiff-boned effort. "It would be best if you step into the hall, Miss Gainsborough."

Gainsborough nodded and left the room. She had been informed that the men were from the Laboratory, and as such carried classified information that should stay between them.

"What is it, Even?" Ansem inquired calmly.

Even sucked in a deep breath. "When we created him, his blood...his blood!" His green eyes wandered to the dark window. "They... They hate us now! He's going to avenge himself! The end is upon us!"

Dilan felt a cold tingle shiver down his spine. "Xehanort was gone when the transfer occurred, Even."

"No!" Even roared, face red with frustration. "You don't understand! The electric jolt...he's free now!"

xxx

Aqua woke to the sound of a ringing phone. She sat up, mind foggy, and grabbed the phone. "What."

"Hi, Aqua."

"Lea?" Aqua was surprised. The flaming redhead had been a close friend of Ven's. "Why you call?"

"I was just calling to make sure you weren't being eaten by that lab animal that escaped."

Aqua almost wanted to laugh. "You know how you and Isa always wanna know what's going on in the labs?"

"Yeah."

"Well, hop on your dirt-bike and drive on down here."

"Cool!" He hung up.

Aqua put the phone on the hook and glanced at the clock. Six-thirty. If she were going to work, she would have to rush ready. But she wasn't.

She stood up and padded barefoot to Terra's room. His door was open. Aqua peered inside and saw him sleeping in the exact position she had left him. She approached him. "Good morning, sleepy head." When he didn't stir, she shook his shoulders gently, then roughly. The third shake woke him up. His bright eyes were instantly alert as he kicked the covers off and stood on the balls of his feet.

"Alright, Terra, come to the kitchen." Aqua walked down there and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Terra sat at the table, examining the bottom of his dirty foot. Aqua could see the faint glow in his eyes, so she switched on the lights to hide it. She poured another bowl for the silvernette and brought everything over to the table. "Breakfast is served."

Terra picked up his spoon and took one bite of the cereal before once again picking at the stitches on his neck. He seemed intent to get Aqua to change them out, but Aqua would have to tear more thread and see more repulsive sights. And it genuinely hurt her to stab a needle through flesh, even if it was for Terra.

As Aqua was washing her bowl out and putting it in the cabinet, someone pounded their fist on the door. "Come in! It's unlocked!" Aqua knew only one person who knocked like that.

Lea stumbled in and threw the door shut behind himself. "Y'know, I've never came here at seven a.m." as he came into the kitchen, he caught sight of Terra. Sea-foam green met crystalline gold. Finally, Lea managed to say, "That is one freaky costume."

Aqua sighed and shut the cabinet. "That's not a costume." She approached and crossed her arms. "All of that's real. Put an ear to his chest."

"Uh, okay." Lea put his ear near Terra's sewn-up chest. One red eyebrow rose quizzically. "What is that?"

"The machine they stuck in there to replace his heart." Aqua sat down across from Terra and leaned her head on her hand.

Lea stood up and froze. "You're shitting me, right?"

Aqua shook her head. "Wish I was."

Lea turned slowly towards Terra. "...he doesn't have a heart?"

"Nope."

"Well, I want proof!" Lea pulled out his switchblade and slashed Terra's arm open. The silvernette yelled and brought a fist crashing into Lea's ribcage. Aqua jumped forward just in time to catch the redhead mid-fall. She wrenched the knife from his grasp and clicked it shut.

Terra wasn't bleeding.

Lea's eyes widened in horror as he recovered from the monstrous blow. "It's..it's...it's true!"

Aqua nodded and gently lowered Lea to the floor. "What the hell were you thinking? He's afraid of knives!"

Terra whimpered and looked at the slash across his wrist. It probably wouldn't heal, since he had no blood to scab, unless the healing process could take place without scabs. In any case, the silvernette held out his arm for Aqua to see. The _X1NM3S1AE_ tattoo was visible.

"What's his name?" Lea asked from his position on the floor.

Aqua looked at the slash, which was about two inches long. "His name is Terra."

"Terra? But Terra's gone."


	5. Twists

Ansem sighed. Things couldn't possibly be worse.

Ienzo had a serious fracture in his skull, Even was suffering from trauma and was in need of major surgery, and Braig needed a blood transfusion. The Foundation would pay for the treatment, but nothing would solve the catastrophe that Project χ was suffering in. XEMNAS, the fruit of many long years of toil and research, had nearly killed three scientists near effortlessly.

Ansem couldn't inform the authorities of XEMNAS's existence because the Project was conducted in absolute secrecy, and it would be total anarchy if word of the injustices committed got out.

But what Even had said, it disturbed him. A year past, Xehanort had lost all hid memories in the aftermath of a successful experiment and assembled for himself another personality. But upon the creation of XEMNAS, these memories were lost as well. So what could possibly have been freed inside of him?

Something had happened to Xehanort upon removal of his heart; as he screamed and howled in agony, pushing against the steel restraints which held him down, all the blood flowing from his body had turned an inky midnight black. Black blood was always identified with bad things and evil, so naturally people would think it a bad omen. But Ansem had ignored it and continued his work.

What was the thing freed that Even spoke of? XEMNAS's will? His thoughts? Or had it been his body?

Had Terra, of all people, been freed?

xxx

"Lea, just look at him. His face is so much like Terra's."

"I don't see anything."

Aqua sighed. "Listen, I named him that because he looks like Terra, alright? Terra's gone. I can accept that. It's just that..." She gently rubbed Terra's sliced arm. "You know. I have some pain stuff in the cupboard over there. Could you get it?"

"Sure." Lea rustled through the cupboard and found it. "Got it. Here." He set the stuff on the table next to Aqua and looked at the tattoo on Terra's arm. "I've seen that before."

"Where?" Aqua asked as she grabbed a cotton ball and dabbed it in the painkiller.

"That time I got into the labs, as I was going through, I saw a guy wearing this weird monitoring equipment stuff on him and an oxygen mask. He was walking on a treadmill, and that tattoo was on his arm, just like that." Lea took a breath and scratched the back of his head. "Looked a lot like your Terra."

"Weird." Aqua applied the anesthetic around Terra's wound, numbing the pain, she hoped. The stuff affected nerves, not blood, so it probably worked.

"Aaah?" Terra flexed his fingers and turned his wrist. He touched the anesthetic with two fingers and seemed surprised when it took affect there as well. Aqua found herself giggling when he brought it to his nose to smell it and accidentally bumped himself on the face. "Kaawaaaaaaa…"

Aqua smiled. "He's gonna knock himself out like that." She gently moved the silvernette's hand from his face. "Terra, don't do that."

She was surprised when Terra rubbed his numbed fingers across the recently sewn scar. It must have still been hurting from the night before.

Lea pointed at the silvernette's hand. "He wants the stuff on the cut with different string. Do you think the stitches were redone recently?"

"Recently, yeah," Aqua said, dabbing the wound with her cotton ball. "I redid them last night." She finished and looked at the redhead. "The thread matches, right?'

Lea shrugged. "Looks good to me." His eyes wandered to the tattoo again. "Do you think he's the test animal?"

Aqua put the stuff down and considered. She'd never really thought about that. "All evidence says yes, so yes."

Lea smiled broadly. "This is great! We should call those people! We'll be rich!" He snapped out his cell phone and began dialing a number. He held the phone to his ear.

"No!" Aqua, acting on an impulse, slapped the phone from his hand, hearing it clatter to the floor. "I can't give him to those monsters! They took his heart! His humanity!"

Lea sighed sadly. "You're right." He picked up the phone and hung up. "Sorry. It was all in the moment." He retrieved his closed switchblade and shoved both items in his pocket. "I just thought I could solve your financial problems."

Aqua's face turned bright red. "You pervert!" How did he know about the cocktail restaurant? She slapped him across the face. "I'm quitting that job, y'know."

Terra was tearing at his stitches again, probably hoping she would decide to fix them this time.

"When did you see that tattoo, exactly?" Aqua asked the redhead as she was putting away the anesthetic and cotton balls.

Lea laughed a little. "The funny thing is, I saw it a year ago, the week after the real Terra disappeared."

Aqua dropped everything she was holding. _"Oh my god!"_

xxx

Ansem closed his phone. Whoever had called had hung up quickly.

He didn't need anyone wasting his time. Even was going into surgery. Dilan and Aeleus were sleeping, so Ansem had to be awake in case something important came up.

This situation reminded him very much of when Vanitas was created. Years ago, he and Xehanort had taken genes from two people and created a new being from them. This being was physically fifteen, several years older than the others. They called him Vanitas. But the boy had gone insane and attempted to kill one of his genetic originals, Ventus Jayfell, and his friends, Aqua Jones and Terra Darson. Luckily, Braig had shot the abomination before he could do any serious damage. The sad thing was Ventus was wounded by a missed shot and Braig lost his right eye.

Vanitas had been Xehanort's final success in eighty-five long years of life. What had happened after was Ansem's fault.

Dilan was wrong. This was all his fault. If only they had accepted death as a part of life and moved on! Innocent people were suffering for their foolishness, and many, many more would suffer in time. The black blood _was _an omen. XEMNAS was destined to be destroyed.

Ansem flicked open his phone and saw who had decided to call and hang up. "Dilan."

The burly dark-haired scientist stirred and sat groggily up. "Yeah?"

"Pay our friend Lea Bernhard a visit."

"Sure." Dilan stood up and quickly left the room.

Ansem sighed. With some friendly persuasion, Dilan would get XEMNAS back without ransom.

xxx

"No. It's not possible." Aqua was trembling. "He can't be Terra."

The entire room was quiet, the sound choked away by tension and suspense. Even though the sky grew brighter each passing moment, the day was dark with horror.

Lea took in a breath. "W-What do you mean?"

Aqua gulped down some saliva and tried to drown out the shocked ache in her chest. "Before he disappeared, Terra told me that his uncle Xehanort was dying. Xehanort was going to lengthen his life by forcing his conscience into another living body and taking control. Terra and I agreed to stop him, and we succeeded. But the next week, Terra disappeared." Her hands were shaking violently. Damn you, Xehanort! Damn you to hell!" She pounded her fist against the wall, unexpressed anger filling her with heat.

Lea came forward to comfort her. "Calm down."

"How can I?" Aqua forced Lea away. "You see what happened to him!" She was sad, she was angry, she was alive with negative emotions. "They tortured him!"

Lea looked concerned. "Aqua! You're freaking me out!" He was rustling through his pocket, probably searching for his knife.

"You don't understand!" Aqua whirled on him, rage blinding her. She wanted to take it out on the redhead, beat him down to avenge her friend. She raised her hand to bring him down when-

"Aqua."

Aqua looked in the direction of the voice.

Terra was staring sadly at her from his position on the chair. "Aaah…koowaaaa." He indicated himself as Aqua had indicated herself when they first met. "Ter..Terra Daaaaaaaar…sone."

Aqua's anger faded. She'd never told this Terra that the real one's last name was Darson. "It really is you…" She ran forward and embraced her old friend, placing her head on his shoulders. Pure elation filled her as Terra returned the hug, breathing unaltered and controlled by the noisy machine in his chest. He looked different, he felt different, he sounded different, he _was_ different, but he was still the same.

"Awwwww…" Lea and his eternal sense of humor.

Aqua let go and sighed. "Well, we can never give him back now. What do we do?"

Lea shrugged. "You kindah adopted him, so he's your problem. Maybe you should just keep him safe."

Aqua groaned. "Easier said than done, Flamesilocks." She looked at Terra. "Just keep him in the house all day?"

"If he's from a lab, he's probably used to it."

"You're right," Aqua said. "Shoo now. I just thought you'd be interested to see him."

"Thanks." Lea smiled, winked, and paraded on out the door.

* * *

I don't think you were expecting that...or were you? (points accusingly) Yeah. Tension aside, I'm sorry this took so long! On last Wednesday, I was typing for an hour, and when I quit, I could think about this fanfic without getting a headache. Literally! Well, I'm satisfied with the results, and I don't own these characters! R&R appreciated. Thank you.


	6. Author's Message

****AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Hello, this is the author for _The χ Project_! I know this story really hasn't updated in forever, and I'm genuinely sorry about that. My inspiration died after a few months of work, and I didn't get it back until just recently.

Now, my plan from here on out is this: I'm going to take down this story entirely and re-post it later, complete with revisions and new chapters. Hopefully, I'll be able to stick with it this time! Once again, sorry for the long pause, and thank you for reading it up to this point.


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